Section switch



Jan. `16, 1940. A H GEN-[ER 2,187,310

sEcTIN SWITCH FiledvNov. 22,1938

a ATTORNEY.

Patented Janfl, 1940"" y UNITED swiss y 2,187,311,131 y "sEo'rIoN sw11'1o1'111'1 i `Albert.; Hffientcrr" Ross *TownshipQlleghenyy f "County,11a.,assignor to Duquesne Mine Supply CompanylQPittsburgh, Pa`. a corporation oi"1 1 1" Pennsylvania 1 iiplicationotmber 2z', wechsel-fiel N6. `2411x195 1 1 1 1 173 Claims. (C1. 1911-39) "This invention relates to trolleyuwire equipe ment and more particularly to section switches for isolating a branchltrolley line `from` a main trolley line..

11 The principal object of this invention is the1 Provision of asmoothfcurrent collector Contacting surface through a trolley switch.` H

Another object is the provision of; a trolley switch with three independent sections ferming1 a `trolley contacting surface of uniform character.`

Another 10b-ject is `the provision of a trolley contacting switch: having a smooth continuous current collector contacting surfacewith an in` termediatesectien which is energized only when theswitch is closedl 1 11 1 `1 Another object '1 is" the previsionof` an over center toggle switch for connectinga branch line 1 through thetrolley to `the `main line. 1'

Anotherobject isth'eprovision of meansfor supporting11a` jtrolleyfwire section intermediate 1 l 1` of 1 two trolley` wire sections for" the purposes 1 described."1

Otherobjectsand uadvantages appear inthe following description andclaims.v 1 1 1 lin the accompanying 'drawing a practical ernbodiment illustrating `the principles "of this A`in` vention are shown wherein: 1 1 1 1 Fig. 11 is a plan view of thesectionswitch." y

Fg;12 is a sectional view taken ontheline' ill-2 orinar 1. 1 j Fig; *3 is an end viewof' the 1:switch taken en Fig. 4 is afsectional 4view taken l of the switch. 1

1 "Fig 5 is a sectional view1 taken on the line 51`5 1 electricall insulating material11 capableof` Withstanding the tensional stresses subjected to trol`^ `ley Wires. 11 These bars arel placed parallel to one another and are' arranged to receiverthe 1metallic trolley wiresupporting members I Ibe` tween the 1 ends" thereof L Each trolley Wire"`sup porting member is made up of4 two complemen` 1 tary sections I'Z'and I3 with thedividing line in "the center as indicated at I4.` ('I'he bars Ill-and 1 the members II are providedwith alignedholes 1 cipal parts of for receiving :the bolts I5 which hold these printhe mechanism in assembledrelation. 1 1 1 `Each section I21`is provided with ani'ntegral 10n the llime E1-4 of Fig; lshowing theinterrnediate section" extensionlxl which" forms the stationary jaw of aclamp andis` provided with a transverselyds;`

posed hole I1" therethrough for receiving theA 1 clampingboltIS which secures the mating jaw I9 of theclampthereto. 1

The members I I .andtheclamping sections are provided witha longitudinal groove 2991 on the 1 innert` f aceadjacent the lower edge for receiving1 the upper portion of a trolley wire 2 I when placed inlassembledrelation. Vertically disposed teeth similar to thoseA of a, screw thread are formed in Wire may be of'gure 'eight cross section, as illustrated, orfit may be oval; round or ellipticalA with f a groove on eachside adjacent the top. The `jaws with their respective complementary grooves and teeth-"are adapted toreceive and clampthe up1- 1 these "grooves for gripping the; wire. y The trolley 1 per portion of most any character of trolley wire 1 and retain it against movement.

wire 231` andis secured by the setscrew 24; The

11Sts1t1ena1y-ieontact 25 er! the blade switch 26, 1s

formed "integral" with1 thesection I 3` through the1 strap 21'.' The contact 25 and the strap 2I"lay over oneof'the bars 'I0 as indicated in Fig. 5.

trolleylwiresupport is likewise made in two sec` [is rigidlyjpsecuredto one of the bars IIl by means ofthe bolts 32. The jaW` 3I is clamped to section 11 `3Il^`by` means of the bolt 33. and the sleeve1134 "which 'extend throughfa holelin the bar I D. The

long-p` bolt' and 11 sleeve permit the movable jaw member 3II `to be clamped or unclamped without 1;

disassembllng thefbars` `I`il.1` A shoulder 35 is pro# 1 vided 1on"1the`inner face at each end of `the stationary jaw member 301 asillustrated` in `Fig` 21 1 for maintaining alignmentwof the, movable jaw 1 The jaw members `llllland 3| areals'o provided withal longitudinal: groove 2i! on their inner faces 1' adjacent the lower edge thereof and are provided with verticallydisposed teeth orthreadsfor ree;y -ceiving andclampin-g `a short section'ot'1 the trol- The 1'ends11'oi" the intermediate portion or dummy 29 are vspaced-1fro1n theinner ends. offthe" trolley leywire the1 manner described above.

`wiresupporting members II, forming air gaps therebetween to prevent the passageof 1an electriccurrent1 between these parts. 1

1 Othertharrjthrough the switch blade 28 andthe" statinarycontact members. 25. the trolley wire 1; supportingrmembers II are'electrically'insulated 1 fromoneanother111l 1 1 1 3D The intermediatf` or dummy pcrtioir 219 `ofthe Attention is directed to the fact that the structure `described may be applied to a suspended trolley wire and after the clamps are set the trolley wire may be severed at the air gaps by sawing the trolley wire.A Thus the trolley wire may be suspended in a branch line that is being used continuously without interrupting traiiic and when it* is desirable to provide a switch for l cutting oif'the branch line the switch may be applied by cutting the trolley wire without alter-Y ing the existing trolley system or requiring the use of come-alongs or other wire stretching equipment. This is an important advantage of this invention.

'I'he structure thus far described may be employed in a trolley lineas a circuit energizing device for operating a track switch or other similar device, in which case the wire 23 in one supporting member I I may be connected tojthe other supportingmember Il forming a jumper electrically connecting the adjacent ends of; the trolley wire sections. 'I 'he dummy section'29 is then connected to a switch operating mechanism which becomes `energized when the trolley current col-V lecting device momentarily. bridges the air gap betweentthe trolley wire section and the dummy 29. Thus a smooth current collecting surface is `provided in a circuit energizing device whichl forms an important object of this invention.

VThe blade 28 of the switch 26 is' pivotally supportedintermediate of its ends `on the vertically disposed pin 3bl vfixed in the transverse arm 31 which is secured to the intermediate 'jaw mem-A ber Baby welding or brazing. A short arm 3,8 is secured to the intermediate portion of the blade 28 and extends atvright angles thereto. The outer end of the short'arm 38 is provided with `an upstanding pin 39 arranged to operatein the The outer'end of the operatinglever videdzwith an insulated hand grip 4B with la'v shield 4l and when thrown from either side to slot 4B in the operating lever 4l which is pivoted on the stationary arm 31 as indicated at 42. A spring 153 is secured at one end t'o the `pin 39 and at the other end to the pin 44' on thellever 4i, 'thus providing a short arm toggle switch having a snap action when moved beyond dead center. The contacts 45 on the ends of the blade 28 are held in contact with the stationary contact'members` 25 under'the tension ofthe `spring 63. The shapek of these contacts| .together with the tension of the spring 43, which may be made l very great, insures low resistance between the contacting surfaces. o,

4I is prothe dead` center position the spring 43` completes the action of the switch to engage the contact portions 45011 the ends of the rblade 28 with the stationary contacts 25 or to carry them remotely therefrom." f l The double arm toggle provides a shorter and faster movement of the operating lever and the switch blade.' However the trolley collecting shoe l ordinarilyprecedes the engine when coming from a branch line and the switch is therefore not opened or closed under load. b Y

lThe blade switch operating mechanism'shown is vdesigned principally for V,mine` trolley systems where ceilings are low and the engineer can reach up and 'throw the-switch by hand or use a stick to tapithe operating lever'as he travels along, thereby cutting the branch trolley line in service onlyv during theshort time it isbeing used and thus avoiding short circuiting the main trolley line througha vfault along the branch line when not in use. When installing the switch it is preferable to connect the right end to the main trolley line and the left end to the branch, thus permitting the engineer to tap the operating lever in the direction of travel for opening or closing the switch.

The smooth continuous current collecting surface made by the trolley wire in this device eliminates abrupt changes in this surface, thereby eliminating arcing, which not only burns the collector and the wire or substituted bridge but in amine may yignite explosive gas, causing greater damage. Apparatus of this character for trolley systems are required to be compact and ,it is impossible to runa current collecting device between a wire to a bridge member without creating a bump which causes an arc. Here the wire forms the contacting surface through the device and-no bumps or arcing are produced.

I claim:

l. In a vtrolley conductor-support the combination of two partible clamping members, each part having a longitudinal groove adjacent the lower edge thereof which grooves coact to hold the upper .portionl of adjacent conductor-sections, an insulating support for holding said clamping members in spaced relation with the conductors in axial alignment, and a third partible clamp carried on the insulating support intermediate of the two clamping members and arranged to support a short conductor-section of similar character in axial alignment with the` other conductor-sections, the ends of the intermediate section being in spaced relation to the ends of the adjacent sections.

2. In a trolley conductor-support the combination of two partible clamping members, each part having a longitudinal groove adjacent the lower edgethereof which grooves coact to hold the upper portion oi adjacent conductor-sections, an insulating support for holding said clamping members in spaced relation wth the conductors in axial alignment, a third partible clamp carried on the insulating support intermediate of the two clamping members and arranged to support a short conductor-section of similar character in axial alignment with the other conductor-sections, the ends of the intermediate section being in spaced relation tothe ends of the adjacent sections, and a switch member mounted on said insulating support and arranged when closed. to electrically connect said conductor sections.

3. In a trolley wire section switch the combination of three partible clampingmembers, a longitudinal groove adjacent the lower edge of each part which coacts to hold the upper portion of adjacent conductorfsections, an insulating support for holding `said clamps with the conductors in aligned spaced relation, a contact block electrically connected to each remote clamping memtween the corresponding contact surfaces of the blade and the blocks.

ALBERT H. GENTER. 

